An Evening For Bazou 5 Fundraiser

May 3, 2014 @ 8:00 pm - 2:00 am

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It’s hard to believe it, but this is the fifth and final year of our partnership with École St. Albert Le Grand in Bazou, Cameroon. As such, this will be our fifth and final fundraiser, and we would love to have you all come out for this grand finale!

The evening will start promptly at 8:30pm with a presentation of all that has been accomplished over the past four years at École St. Albert Le Grand. You will be amazed by the transformation that has taken just four years! Njacko Backo will then open the evening with kalimba music, followed by some global beats by DRUMHAND that will certainly get you out of your seat. Afrafranto will close out the evening with some sweet palm wine and highlife music that will keep you dancing the rest of the evening. We are pleased to welcome back our talented MC’s Luther Hansraj (English) and Jacques Yams (français) who will be your hosts for the evening. This is an all-ages show.

Afrafranto – Afrafranto (‘Butterfly’ in the Akan language of Ghana) performs authentic acoustic palm wine and highlife music. Afrafranto is a dynamic group that has entertained audiences over the past few years with their dance-driven music and electric performances.

Afrafranto features four members of the JUNO award winning African Guitar Summit – Theo Yaw Boakye on lead vocals and shakers, Pa Joe on guitar and vocals, Kofi Ackah on percussion and vocals, and Ebenezer Agyekum on bass guitar – along with Sam Donkor on balafon, and Marshall Nketiah on congas

DRUMHAND – Hands, sticks and mallets pound out old and new rhythms on weathered skins: evoking ancient forms of ‘messaging’ via global beats for dancing bodies and curious ears! The Toronto ensemble was founded by percussionists David Chan, Larry Graves and Steve Mancuso in 2008 in an effort to combine the circuitous rhythms of West Africa, Cuba, India and Brazil with the jazz-imbued horn work in the spirit of New Orleans parade bands and the uplifting spirit of American Roots Music

Njacko Backo – Born in rural Cameroon and raised in the hills in a small village called Bazou, Njacko has spent his life writing and performing music in Africa, Europe and North America. He began playing percussion and making instruments at the tender age three. Nicknamed the King of Kalimba, Njacko will open the evening with some sweet melodies on kalimba so you can shake off the stresses of your week and get ready for an evening of dancing and merry making!